2023-05-16 08:36:33
The supplementary hotel sector paid the price for the lack of snow during the past winter season. However, the positive outlook for the summer compensates for this mixed picture.
Weather conditions have been a challenge for small ski resorts in particular, according to Parahôtellerie suisse, which refers to the activity report of its five member companies. The winter season is however described as “satisfactory”, in a press release published on Tuesday.
“At Reka, in addition to the snow conditions, the economic and geopolitical challenges were also felt,” explained Roger Seifritz, director of Reka, quoted in the press release. The company suffered a sharp drop in overnight stays in March. Revenue and occupancy days were down 10%, although bookings were only 6% lower than a year earlier. This is mainly due to the trend towards shorter lengths of stay.
For Swiss Youth Hostels (AJS), the number of overnight stays increased by 22.5% over one year. “This is because many winter sports camps had to be canceled in 2021/22 due to last minute restrictions, creating demand for catch-up,” noted Janine Bunte, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the AJS, quoted in the press release. The share of overnight stays by groups and schools exceeded a third, compared to 22.9% a year earlier. The return of customers from distant markets also boosted performance.
For Interhome, the weather conditions weighed heavily: “We have in fact observed a marked decrease in spontaneous short stays in the mountains”, confirmed Roger Müller, responsible for the Swiss market at Interhome. This resulted in 11% fewer reservations compared to the previous year.
The situation was better for BnB Switzerland, which offers few winter sports-oriented accommodations.
Positive outlook for the summer
While the 25 TCS campsites opened a little before Easter, online bookings are up 22% for the summer compared to 2022. The increase is “all the more remarkable” as overnight stays in 2022 were already 46% higher than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
As for youth hostels, the level of reservations for the summer season is 12.5% higher than the previous year.
Optimism also permeates Interhome, as the return of foreign travelers should support activity, with bookings up 15% compared to 2022. Reka also reports an 11% increase in bookings, but the durations stays are shorter. Indeed, the expected increase in occupancy days is only 2%.
Parahôtellerie Suisse has BnB Switzerland, Interhome, Reka, AJS and TCS Camping as members.
This article has been published automatically. Source: ats/awp
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